32 NHL Cities in 32 Days: Philadelphia Flyers

Alexis Bazydola
May 22, 2020
5 min read

The Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Opening in 1996, the Wells Fargo Center is the home of the Philadelphia Flyers. It is also home to the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NLL’s Philadelphia Wings. It was originally called the Spectrum II and seats over 19,000 for a home hockey game. The arena was opened with a private concert by Ray Charles before 12,000 spectators. It has also hosted other entertainers like the Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Gwen Stefani, Lorde, Florence & the Machine and so many others.

Team History

The Philadelphia Flyers were the first expansion franchise after the Original Six era. The team debuted in 1967 with Lou Angotti as the first captain. They were able to make the playoffs their first season, but were eliminated by the St. Louis Blues in seven games. After the next season was much of the same, owner Ed Snider advised general manager Bud Poile that he would need to acquire bigger and stronger players. Keith Allen soon took over as general manager and the team began their search for tougher players. The Flyers drafted Bobby Clarke and Dave Schultz in 1969.

Clarke came out as a fan favorite in the 1969-70 season but the team did not make the playoffs that season. In December 1969, a new tradition was started as the Flyers played “God Bless America” before important games instead of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” As of the end of the 2016-17 season the team had a record of 100-29-5 when they played “God Bless America” before the games.

Beginning in the 1972-73 season started the “Broad Street Bullies” era. The Flyers began to become more competitive and led to the Stanley Cup Finals run in 1973-74. Led by enforcer Dave Shultz the Flyers claimed the top of the West Division. They took on the Atlanta Flames in the first round of the playoffs and swept them in four games. They then faced the New York Rangers in the second round and eliminated them in seven games. They faced the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals and went on to win their first Cup in six games.

The 1974-75 season saw the Flyers return to the Stanley Cup Finals again after taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs after a first-round bye. They then faced the New York Islanders in the next round and eliminated them in seven games. They faced the Buffalo Sabres in the Finals and won their second consecutive Cup in six games.

The next season was another powerhouse season for the Flyers. They set multiple records including most goals by a single line with the LCB line that featured Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber. They were able to return to the Stanley Cup Finals but were dethroned by the Montreal Canadiens who swept the Flyers in four games. This would be the beginning of the end of the Broad Street Bullies era.

The Flyers continued to clinch playoff spots in to the 80s, but were not able to return to the Finals. New coaches were adopted during this time and Clarke was named a playing assistant coach beginning in the 1979-80 season. By 1984, many veterans from the Broad Street Bullies had moved on to make way for new and younger talent including Mark Howe who would become the Flyers’ top defenseman for the next decade.

The 1980s were filled with lots of playoff exits for the Flyers. In 1986, Ron Hextall began his reign as goaltender. He became the third Flyer to win the Vezina Trophy in his rookie season. They were able to return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in the 80s against the Edmonton Oilers in 1987. Although they pushed the series to six games, they did not come out victorious.

By the end of the 80s and in to the 90s, the team faced competitive hardships and looked to start rebuilding. Prior to the 1991-92 season, the Flyers acquired Rod Brind’Amour from the St. Louis Blues. Rick Tocchet was named team captain as well. While the Flyers continued to struggle this season, the team traded Tocchet to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Mark Recchi. As the Flyers continued to show they could not compete, management shifted throughout the 90s. In 1994, Bobby Clarke returned to the team this time as general manager. They reacquired Ron Hextall from the Flyers and named a new captain in Eric Lindros.

For the first time in 8 years, the Flyers won their first division title and returned to the playoffs in 1995. They were able to reach the Eastern Conference Finals but were upset by the New Jersey Devils in six games. The 1995-96 season saw their last at their home arena, the Spectrum.

In their new arena, the Flyers were able to return and win the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997. They faced the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals but were swept in four games. The next decade was seen as a low for the Flyers. Although playoff success was not in the cards for the Flyers during this time, this period was highlighted by the acquisition of Jeremy Roenick, Brian Boucher, Sami Kapanen, Peter Forsberg, Simon Gagne, and Scottie Upshall.

Beginning in 2007, the Flyers again looked to rebuild. After trading their first-round draft pick to the Nashville Predators, they acquired the rights to negotiate with unrestricted free agents Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell. Both were signed to six-year contracts. They also selected James van Riemsdyk in the first round of the 2007 NHL Draft. They Flyers were able to clinch a 2008 playoff spot to face the Washington Capitals in the first round. They won the series in seven games and faced the Montreal Canadiens in the second round. Philadelphia proved to be no match for the Canadiens after eliminating them in five games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Timonen being out for the series with a blood clot in his leg, the Flyers were eliminated in five games.

It wasn’t until the 2009-2010 season that the Flyers began to regain their momentum. With Ray Emery, Brian Boucher, and Chris Pronger in the lineup and Peter Laviolette as the head coach, the Flyers were able to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. They faced the Chicago Blackhawks but were unsuccessful at etching their name in the Cup once again. Since this run, the Flyers have been in and out of the playoffs, but unable to hoist another Cup. Recently with their lack of success, the Flyers have been awarded higher first round draft picks and selected Nolan Patrick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. At the current 2019-2020 season’s pause, the Flyers sit at 6th in the league with 89 points.

Fanbase & Traditions

The most notorious part of the Flyers recently has been their mascot Gritty. Debuting in 2018, he is a fuzzy orange creature with a fiery personality. He has been on numerous talk shows and is well known throughout the league. In March 2019, he was voted as the number 1 mascot in the NHL by the NHLPA.